Personal digital assistants (PDA's), such as the Apple Newton or the Palm PILOT, have become very useful devices for carrying personal notes, calendars, appointments, phone numbers, `to do` lists, etc. PDA's are hand held personal computers that help to manage personal information. It would be desirable for PDA's to be as small as possible, such as the size of a credit card, so that they could be carried in a wallet, purse, pocket, brief case, etc. Two of the main limiting factors to the size of PDA's is the requirement for a reasonable quality display and some means for user input, such as a keyboard or area for pen input. To date there has been a tremendous tug-of-war between the desirable small size for portability and the larger size necessary for user input. Accordingly, it would be desirable for a PDA to be relatively small for portability, yet also have a reasonably sized display and user input area.